Zen Insight: Emptiness: The Cup is Empty, Long Live the Cup!

Interesting discussion of Emptiness, which includes this story:

"There was once a man who swept roads for a living. One morning he was sitting down with a friend and said 'You know I've had this broom for 17 years, this broom is my best and oldest companion'. The friend was amazed, '17 Years? That's a long time!'. The road sweeper explained, 'Yes it is! I've only changed the handle 8 times and the brush 5 times.'."

Also of interest is this somewhat academic discussion of what Inherent Existence means.

New book: "The Zen of Meeting Women"

Just when you thought the power of Zen had been applied to every task, great and small . . .

"The Zen of Meeting Women is a milestone in the genre, combining for the first time the fundamental principals of Zen with the age-old quest for the perfect mate."

Hardcore Zen: responses to email

Some interesting thoughts from the always interesting Brad Warner:

"In order to live among your fellow human beings you need to be conversant with and able to navigate your way through the consensus view of reality held by most members of the society of which you’re a part. The problem is that this consensus view of reality is utterly mistaken. Buddhist practice can help you see through the consensus view and get to the underlying reality. But you need to take this process very slowly."

Dharma Seed - Dharma Talks

Buddhist Dharma talks available for download (as MP3) or streaming. Includes "Quiet the Mind, Open the Heart", "Self & Society", and "Supporting and Deepening Daily Life Practice". Worth checking out.